Leo Martello

Leo Martello

Leo Martello (1930–2000) was an influential figure in the American Wicca and broader Witchcraft movements from the 1960s until his death in 2000. An author, psychic, and activist, Martello was known for his work in gay rights and the establishment of a modern Witchcraft identity in the United States.

Early Life

Leo Martello was born in 1930 in Massachusetts, into a family with a Sicilian background. From a young age, Martello claimed to have psychic abilities and an interest in the occult, which he attributed to his Sicilian heritage and the folk magic practices of his ancestors.

Career

Martello's career spanned various roles, but he is best remembered for his contributions to the Wicca movement and his advocacy for gay rights. In the 1960s, he moved to New York City, where he became an active figure in the burgeoning counterculture movement, intertwining his interests in witchcraft, psychic phenomena, and social activism.

Witchcraft and Wicca

Martello was a self-initiated witch who later founded the Witches' Liberation Movement in the early 1970s, which aimed to dispel myths about witchcraft and advocate for the rights of witches to practice their religion freely. He was a key figure in the 1973 Witch-In in Central Park, a public gathering that sought to raise awareness about witchcraft as a legitimate and positive spiritual path.

He wrote several books on witchcraft and the occult, including Witchcraft: The Old Religion and Gay Witchcraft. His writings emphasized the ethical practice of witchcraft, the importance of psychic development, and the historical roots of the Craft. Martello's approach to witchcraft was eclectic, drawing on various traditions, including Sicilian folk magic, Gardnerian Wicca, and spiritualism.

Gay Rights Activism

Martello was openly gay at a time when doing so was risky, both personally and professionally. He used his platform to advocate for the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals, intertwining his spiritual beliefs with his activism. He argued that sexuality and spiritual practice were inherently linked and that the witchcraft community should be a welcoming space for LGBTQ+ individuals.

Legacy

Leo Martello's legacy in the witchcraft and broader pagan communities is significant. He was a pioneer in the movement for religious freedom for witches, and his work helped pave the way for the acceptance of Wicca and other forms of modern Paganism as legitimate religions. His advocacy for gay rights within the spiritual community also left a lasting impact, contributing to the increasingly inclusive nature of modern witchcraft practices.

Martello passed away in 2000, but his books and the movements he helped to inspire continue to influence new generations of witches and pagans.

Selected Works

• Witchcraft: The Old Religion
• Gay Witchcraft
• Weird Ways of Witchcraft

See Also

• Wicca
• Witchcraft
• Gay rights and witchcraft
• Sicilian folk magic